Method and system of interferer signal detection

Abstract

A method for detecting an interferer signal in a duplex communication channel. The method comprises establishing a duplex communication channel for transmitting and receiving a signal having a plurality of frames each comprising an uplink (UL) and a downlink (DL) sub frames, allocating a plurality of silent slots in at least on of the UL and DL sub frames of at least some of the plurality of frames, intercepting at least one transmission signal during the plurality of silent slots, and detecting at least one interferer signal according to the at least one transmission signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for detecting an interferer signal, comprising:
 establishing a duplex communication channel for transmitting and receiving signals using a plurality of frames each comprising an uplink (UL) subframe and a downlink (DL) subframe; 
 allocating a plurality of silent slots in at least some of said plurality of frames; 
 intercepting at least one transmission signal during said plurality of silent slots; and 
 detecting at least one interferer signal based on said at least one transmission signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said allocating comprises allocating some of said plurality of silent slots in said UL subframe and said DL subframe of at least some of said plurality of frames. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said duplex communication channel is a time division duplexing (TDD) communication channel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said allocating is performed so as to allow a predefined detection probability. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein said predefined detection probability is larger than 60%. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said allocating is performed so as to maintain a selected ratio between said DL subframe and said UL subframe. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one interferer signal is a radar signal. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting comprises measuring energy in a detection period established for said at least one transmission signal. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein said measuring comprises incrementing a counter if said energy exceeds a predefined value during a respective time frame. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting comprises filtering said at least one transmission signal. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting comprises generating a real envelope of said at least one transmission signal. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting is performed using a received signal strength indication (RSSI) threshold. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said detecting is performed using a characteristic selected from the group consisting of: a pulse duration, a pulse repetition interval (PRI), a pulse width, and a number of pulses per burst of said at least one transmission signal. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising switching to another duplex communication channel in response to said detection. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a frequency of said duplex communication channel in response to said detection. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is repetitively performed during a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) scheme. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising estimating the quality of said duplex communication channel based on said interferer signal. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating a link budget for said duplex communication channel taking into account said interferer signal. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising evaluating a total applicable service quality of said duplex communication channel taking into account said interferer signal. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising separately calculating a packet error ratio for uplink and downlink packets transmitted over said duplex communication channel. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method is repetitively performed during a dynamic channel selection (DCS) scheme. 
     
     
       22. A wireless duplex communication system, comprising:
 a plurality of radio port units each including receiver-transmitter circuitry and an antenna and communicating with a base station over a duplex communication channel by transmitting and receiving signals using a plurality of frames each comprising an uplink (UL) subframe and a downlink (DL) subframe; 
 wherein a radio port unit of said plurality of radio port units has an interferer signal module for detecting an interferer signal during a plurality of silent slots allocated in at least some of said plurality of frames. 
 
     
     
       23. The wireless duplex communication system of  claim 22 , wherein said plurality of silent slots are allocated in both said UL subframe and said DL subframe. 
     
     
       24. The wireless duplex communication system of  claim 22 , wherein said radio port unit having said interferer signal module has a communication adjustment module for changing said duplex communication channel in response to detection of said interferer signal. 
     
     
       25. The wireless duplex communication system of  claim 22 , wherein said radio port unit having said interferer signal module is a customer-premises equipment (CPE). 
     
     
       26. A radio port unit for wireless duplex communication, comprising:
 receiver-transmitter circuitry for communicating over a duplex communication channel by transmitting and receiving signals using a plurality of frames each comprising an uplink (UL) subframe and a downlink (DL) subframe; and 
 an interferer signal module for detecting at least one interferer signal during a plurality of silent slots allocated in at least some of said plurality of frames. 
 
     
     
       27. The radio port unit of  claim 26 , wherein said plurality of silent slots are allocated in both said UL subframe and said DL subframe in at least some of said plurality of frames. 
     
     
       28. The radio port unit of  claim 26 , wherein said interferer signal module is implemented on an independent computing unit operatively connected to said receiver-transmitter circuitry. 
     
     
       29. The radio port unit of  claim 28 , wherein said independent computing unit and said receiver-transmitter circuitry process said at least one interferer signal substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
       30. The radio port unit of  claim 28 , wherein said silent slots are allocated to allow sharing a common media connection with at least one schedule based system.